I had heard somewhere about using 54 cal 60 gr pellets in a 50 cal gun, so I tried it today at the rangewith great success. I had been shooting 130 gr (2-50 gr 1-30 gr) of Pyrodex, but 120 grs worked great. Iwas shooting a Knight Disc rifle with a 24" barrel topped with a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14 scope and a 250 gr Barnes Expander. I shot at 50 yards and 100 yards. I "clover leafed" at 50, but I pulled one shot at 100 about an inch low. Both groups were with in 1 1/2" across. I shot my 130 gr load also and got basically the same groups. I will probably continue to use the 54 cal pellets, so I don't have to carry two sizes of pellets. Just thought someone might be interested.
Did the .54 caliber pellets go down the barrel tight? I've never heard of doing that but if they do get down to the bore, I see no reason why that would not work real well..
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I had heard somewhere about using 54 cal 60 gr pellets in a 50 cal gun, so I tried it today at the rangewith great success. I had been shooting 130 gr (2-50 gr 1-30 gr) of Pyrodex, but 120 grs worked great. Iwas shooting a Knight Disc rifle with a 24" barrel topped with a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14 scope and a 250 gr Barnes Expander. I shot at 50 yards and 100 yards. I "clover leafed" at 50, but I pulled one shot at 100 about an inch low. Both groups were with in 1 1/2" across. I shot my 130 gr load also and got basically the same groups. I will probably continue to use the 54 cal pellets, so I don't have to carry two sizes of pellets. Just thought someone might be interested.
Do you own a rifle with an easy loading QLA System. That would be the only way I know to stuff a 54 caliberpellet in a 50 caliber muzzle hole.
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I don't know what a QLA system is so I guess I don't have one, but I do know for a fact that the 54 cal 60 gr pelletsfit easily down the barrel of my Knight Disc rifle as well as my Ultimate. I have never tried them in my Encores or Disc Elite.
Isn't QLA pretty much standard on any of the newer, higher-end guns? Maybe I'm just way off-base here, but I thought that was what they said in the video that came with my Omega last season...
Do you have a way of measuring the diameter of the 54 pellets? It sounds like they are under .50. I, for one, would like to know. I've never heard or even thought of trying that. Very interesting.
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I don't know what a QLA system is so I guess I don't have one, but I do know for a fact that the 54 cal 60 gr pelletsfit easily down the barrel of my Knight Disc rifle as well as my Ultimate. I have never tried them in my Encores or Disc Elite.
I'm not sure about Knights, but Thompson Center offers the flared-open muzzle (QLA) that allows easy starting of your bullets. I know of no other way anyone can load 54-pellets into a 50-cal rifle ... without damaging the shape of the pellet.
Any pellet damage can increase - then create dangerousbore pressures by placing air gaps between the plug and bullet.
The only other exception is Hodgdon Inc. improperly loading 50-cal pellets in that 54-cal box. Yes.... Hodgdon does strange things sometimes. One time, my jug of 777 was filled approximently with 50% Pyrodex and 50% 777. Both are/were bottled/packaged in the same building.
__________________ Make Smoke - Not War with those using a different style muzzleloader than you.
I have 5 muzzleloader, but I have been shooting my first Knight; a 1999/2000? model "original" Disc rifle with a 24" barrel. I prefer the stock on that gun because it has a palm swell. I would put the stock on my Elite, but I don't want to modify it, but I digress. I have never tried 54 cal pellets in my Elite or my Encores, but I have in my Ultimate. I don't have any way to accurately measure the pellets, but they definitely NOT 50 cal pellets in the wrong box.
The 54's are 50 cal diameter, the 50's are 45 cal diameter and I'm not sure what the 45's are .40 or .44 perhaps. It's probably bore to bore differences having a lot to do with it. It would be interesting to see what the 54 pellets do in other brands of 50 cal muzzleloaders.
54 cal Pyrodex Pellets
